Rebel
by Kiie
Summary: Riddick has abducted a thief to help him find Jack, who is in the custody of mercs. First ever fanfic, please r&r.
1. Meet Arlina

The night was crisp on the girl's skin. She waited anxiously. Anyone passing by would see a teenager impatiently waiting, perhaps for a date, a friend… However she wasn't there for something quite so trivial.

Arlina was a pickpocket, one of the best. She had grown up in a secure, middle-class environment when a psychopath had massacred her family. She had watched from a hiding place, unable to stop him.

From then on Arlina had put away her childhood, and before a year had passed, at fifteen she was more proficient with knives and daggers then any older person she knew. She had to be, to survive among men. But, living on the street, she had to earn a living, and had become a thief. She had earned many unsavory nicknames, and had quite a reputation among the lowlife of her district and the guards who pursued them.

Arlina Kate Wells. Her real name. However all knew her as Rebel, although her childhood friends had called her Ally. Rebel had been her first nickname, given to her by some mercenary guards out for cash, who had sold her to the Doc.

By sixteen she was a proficient in thievery, knives and killing people. She didn't kill very often, but she would not quail.

She was now twenty-five, and regularly employed by known criminal organizations, and doing fairly well for herself. She had two peculiarities were not hers by nature, but had been forced upon her by Doc, which had helped in her ascent to one of the most wanted pick-pockets in the underground. Known by no other name, Doc experimented on runaways and slaves, wreaking havoc on their bodies. To Rebel, he had given diamond claws, if she moved her hand in a certain way, or in fright, they would suddenly protrude from between her knuckles. He had also given her an eye job that gave her enhanced night vision, but wasn't similar to a shine job, as she could still see in bright light, although her night vision wasn't any where near as good as a shine job, it just improved contrast.

Tonight she was after a big quarry. The Syndicate, one of the largest criminal organizations, behind only the Mafia and a few others, had asked her to grab some data off a man. She had to steal the disc, get it to a point where some guys would copy the data, then have it returned before the man realized it was gone.

Easy work. Arlina stiffened as a man walked down the alleyway. Not her mark. He did not leave. She didn't think he saw her, but she pressed herself against the wall, just in case. Slowing her breathing, she hoped that if he did notice her, he would think she was merely a sleeping teenager. If he interfered…

Another set of footsteps began to walk down the alley. She looked to see her target. _Shit_, she cursed _what the hell do I do with the stranger?_

Her mouth twisted caustically. She knew exactly what she would do. She began to whimper softly. The stranger stood up and came closer. When he was in reach she pulled him closer, and hit him on the head, hard, so he slumped over her. When her mark walked past, all he saw was a couple embracing.

Seeing him walk past, Arlina quickly shoved aside the man, taking his wallet – never turn down an easy profit – and followed. Her mark – Lucas – was almost too easy. She took his wallet, and ran to the halfway house. The men there knew her, and the disc was copied instantaneously. She grabbed the original, ran back, and replaced it before he was gone.

She returned to the halfway house. Her money was waiting, and she pocketed it quickly. She declined Mike's invitation for drinks, as usual, and made her way home.

She put the filched wallet on her table, locked up, and proceeded to take a long shower. Arlina sang as she bathed, but at least she had a fairly pleasant voice. After emerging, she dressed and walked back out into the larger room. She only had four rooms, a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room.

Arlina yawned, and, curling up in her bed, soon settled down to sleep.

Suddenly she woke up. Something had disturbed her sleep. She quickly reached for her daggers in the sheaths around her body, but they were all empty. She reached out for the dagger in the bedpost, but there was none there. Arlina called out "Lights". They flickered on and off, finally staying on.

In a smooth, fluid movement she rolled onto her feet and lightly pulled herself off the bed. As she landed, catlike, on the ground she was immediately yanked by her ankles to the floor. She twisted around, pulling at the hands on her ankles. The figure rolled out from under the bed, and they tussled for a moment, tumbling over one another, each trying to pin the other down. He was much heavier as well as being probably more skilled, and inevitably, he held her down.

She writhed in his grip, but, in control now, he grabbed both of her arms and held them in a large hand whilst he put a knife against her throat. Sullen, she stilled. He dropped the knife and pulled off goggles she hadn't realised he had been wearing, and her eyes widened as she realised she was looking into the eyes of Richard B. Riddick, the most wanted fugitive in the universe. "Shit." He winked at her, before hitting her over the head and she slumped into unconsciousness.


	2. Tense Awakening

Arlina woke up, handcuffed to her bed. "Sonova Bitch!" She groaned, as she remembered where she was and why she was there. "Riddick?" She called. Her eyes began to adjust to the gloom, and she eventually became aware of his presence in the corner of the room.

He was making - or sharpening - a knife, a homemade shiv. She looked up at him warily as he approached the bed.

As he paced around the bed he spoke "I hear your name is Rebel around here. I also heard some things about you, Rebel. A few… interesting things. Some people say you never made mistakes. You made two today. First, you knocked me out. Second, you took my wallet. However, that just made me pissed off. I was already gonna find you. But all I'm really interested in is finding a girl."

She couldn't suppress a smirk at that. He leisurely lay down over her on the bed, body covering, pinning hers, shiv once more against her throat. She shut up. He was so close she could feel his breath against her cheek. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. Her name is Jack. She's only… fifteen years old now. I don't want her to screw, so do _not_ even _think_ of doing me over. She's been taken by some mercs."

Arlina stayed still, his weight and warmth unsettling her. _Of all the fucking luck in the Universe, it had to be **her** that Riddick had tracked down to help him find his little… **friend**… Every time she seemed to be getting ahead in life, some big thing fucked it all up for her. First the mercs after she had began to recover from her family's death, now I have the most deadly man in the Universe on top of me in my bed. This is **not** a good day._

Riddick studied her face intently, eyes glowing in the dimly lit room. He pulled the knife off her throat, and pulled himself up on his arms. Her breath caught as he traced the knife lightly down her throat, and down her chest between her breasts. The point trailed down and pressed at her stomach, the point making a shallow cut in her skin. She flinched as he bent his head down to hers, but he merely growled in her ears "Do _not_ even _think_…"

Riddick pulled himself off the bed and walked out of the room. A few seconds later she heard the front door slam. Immediately, Arlina began to work on getting out of the restraints. Not unexperienced, she soon was able to work her way loose.

Suddenly, Arlina blushed. She just realised precisely how close Riddick must have gotten to her to disarm her in her sleep. She had a few daggers hidden on her person, two strapped to her legs, two in her waistband, and two in her sleeves. Systematically and methodically she worked through her house, searching for any weapon. _Fuck, fuck, fuck. _Arlina cursed repetitively in her head, as she couldn't find any weapons. Anywhere. And she had a fuckload of guns and shivs around the place.

Instinct made her duck as she heard a soft whistling sound. A dagger landed in the wall, thudding with the impact. It would have landed just above her shoulder, possibly pinning her shirt to the wall. In a fluid motion, she pulled out the dagger and turned to face Riddick, blade towards him.

"89 weapons. 46 of the cutting variety, 20… miscellaneous … and 23 shooting weapons. Quite an arsenal for a young _lady_." The sarcastic twist on the word was not lost on her. "That dagger was my favourite. It's got an interesting inscription on it. Did you steal it?"

Swallowing an insult, Arlina muttered. "No."

He walked around her, she followed, turning slightly. "Ohhh… Are you going to give it back? Be a nice little girl? Or…" He dragged the word out, spinning a shiv on his hand whilst doing so. His mouth quirked up into a half-smile.

She moved slightly so she was more balanced, paused in a fighter's poise. They circled each other warily. "See, they also say you can fight better then I can with a blade… 'cept of course, I'm a lot stronger. Ah, well, can't choose your battles, Rebel."

Arlina realised she was close to the light switch. She backed up slowly, and Riddick probably thought she was being intimidated by his sheer size and strength. She turned, took a few steps, jumped and kicked the light switch, pushing off the wall and somersaulting over his head. As she did so, she reached out and tore the goggles from his eyes, dropping them to the ground when she landed. He was blinded by the sudden light, and she took the opportunity to run into the bathroom. Riddick hastily put the goggles back on, and was in the bathroom in time to see her disappear through a small window. He sighed stoically. He'd have to wait. He'd been stalking her for a few weeks, and he knew she would never leave the flat. Riddick began to think about his next moves. He flipped himself onto the roof and began to wait. After a while he went to the corner shop and 'convinced' the owner to give him some free food. He kept watch on the house.


	3. Taken

After a few weeks, she returned with another person, a girl perhaps two or three years younger. He stared at her, comparing her to Rebel, and nearly laughed. They looked the opposite. Whilst Rebel was smaller and curvy, this girl was tall and slim, dark haired and fair skinned. Riddick studied the newcomer. She didn't know how to fight. She didn't walk like it. Fighters, killers… predators… all walk a certain way, weight balanced, carefully placing feet, ready to change direction at all times. The younger girl didn't walk like Rebel, or Riddick himself, did. She would probably slip or fall easily. He would knock her out first, and any noise he made would be covered, as Rebel would assume they were her friend knocking into things. He studied Rebel's walk. It looked a little different, not quite limping but like she had been hurt.

Lightly, Riddick jumped down from the roof. He crept in through a window, and appeared behind the younger girl. She turned around to see a tall, heavily muscled man with shined eyes directly behind her and flinched away. The girl soon slumped in his arms as a syringe emptied its contents into her system.

He locked her in the room, and went to find Rebel. She was grabbing items and stuffing them in a duffle-bag, every so often pausing and scanning the room. As she looked down he approached, and when she looked up next, he was right in front of her. Riddick was expecting her to jump back as the other girl did, and had already begun his lunge. However, she dropped flat on the floor, and he tripped over her body. Barely regaining his footing, he turned and went after her, as she jumped up and fled from the room. He followed her. She scanned each room for her friend, with Riddick pursuing her. She looked back and saw him, and she reached the bathroom. Rebel turned the handle in frustration, knowing it was locked. She sighed in irritation and turning, leant against the door, facing him.

_Interesting_. She wasn't trying to escape, merely to get to her friend. She could have tried to leave through a window at any stage, and she hadn't. Rebel's eyes questioned his urgently. Riddick studied Rebel, thinking about the unspoken question. He continued approaching, and although Rebel eyed him warily she made no move for either gun or blade. He knew she could easily have dragged out a weapon by now, but she hadn't. Riddick was disappointed; he had never fought someone with skills reputed to equal or better his. _Probably morals_, he thought, _she wasn't leaving without her friend_.

His mouth quirked into a grin as he grasped her wrists in a much larger hand, feeling them tense, although she still didn't make any attempt to fight. Her entire body was completely tense, muscles pulled taut. _It must be killing her not to fight against this, _thought Riddick, amused,_ she's so skittish_. He pushed her against the wall, holding her wrists above her head. He frisked her, first patting her down, than running an impersonal hand under her shirt and in the waistband of her pants. Her eyes blazed as he did so, and her expression tightened as he relieved her of more weapons that'd she has recently acquired. He turned her around, so her face was against the wall and repeated the procedure. _Control yourself_! Riddick reprimanded himself, as his hand ranged across her body. He hadn't been entirely prepared for her smooth, warm skin, and the feel of her very feminine curves. He had felt the shudder run across her skin as his cool hand checked the surface of her body. He wondered at the bandages around her hip and just under her bra.

Riddick let her arms drop to her sides and she whirled around. He put his hands palm-up against the wall on either side of her, leaning onto them, trapping her.

"Is she alright?" It was the first time Rebel had spoken, and he was surprised to hear her speak with an Earth Australian accent. The girl had a nice voice, low and smooth. She hid her emotions well, Riddick knew she was scared, yet her face and voice remained impassive. He looked at her quizzically. "What is she to you?"

Rebel began to loose her calm. Dual apprehension and anger laced through her previously impassive voice. "Is this a fucking game of 20 questions? Is she alright?" Her voice rose in volume. Swiftly, he held a forearm against her throat, cutting off her rising voice as he applied pressure. She kicked out and struggled but he continued until she blacked out and slumped, unconscious. He caught her before she fell, and he roped her hands together. Grabbing her duffle bad, Riddick carried her to his craft, at the nearby station. No one questioned or even tried to stop the imposing man as he carried the girl in his arms through the evening streets. When he reached the ship, he carried her to the bedroom, which held a bunk bed and a normal bed. Dropping her bag at the foot of the bed, he lay her down on the bunk, she was still unconscious, and tied the spare rope from her arms to the head of the bunk. He also tied her legs to the foot of the bunk, she was stuck spreadeagled, there was no way she could move either her legs or arms.


	4. Unexpected Companion

When he got back to the flat, he heard the other girl stirring. When he walked in, he saw the girl sitting against the wall, hands around her knees, still somewhat dopey from the sedative. He began to walk towards her and she shrunk away from him. He continued his approach, cornering her. She looked away from him, facing her head to the ground. Riddick crouched in front of her, forcing her to look at him. He winced as he saw the old bruises on her face, a rare look of near sympathy crossing his face. He pulled her up. Riddick held her around the waist with one arm, and pressed a shiv to her ribs discreetly with the other. She trembled violently at his touch. He half-forced and half-coaxed her to the ship. Once they were in, he let her slip to the floor as he shut the ramp. She stared apprehensively at the ramp as it locked into place. He left her sitting there as he prepped the engines. The drugs began to wear off and she looked more alertly around. Her breath caught as she realised Riddick was watching her, and her profile was akin to that of a startled animal as she froze, strangely graceful. She pulled herself up. He finished prepping the engines, and began setting the course. He looked back as her eyes noticed the computer system; a peculiar gleam appeared in her slowly clearing eyes.

Riddick heard a faint sound. He half-turned, listening again. Rebel was awake, struggling against her bonds. Walking into the bunkroom where he had tied her in, he sat down on the bunk. She pulled away as far as the restraints would let her. Riddick put a hand on her stomach, lightly pressing down although she tried to jerk away and murmured "Calm down." Her heart slowed down to a normal rate, although he could feel her body was still tense.

A few moments passed and Riddick spoke again. "I wasn't expecting your friend. Can I trust her not to tell that she saw me?"

"Yeah, she won't tell if it's for me." Rebel sullenly replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation this time, and he felt convinced. It went against his every instinct and experience to leave the younger one behind, but the other girl would just waste time. He had no space or the coding for extra food for her, either.

Riddick left Rebel tied there, and walked back. The girl was by the computer, and she didn't hear his silent approach as she hacked into the system. _Whoa! This kid was good._ He looked at her with new respect. She was better at that then he'd ever be; she was a natural Hacker. Few of them, they were talented individuals who could play with code as second nature. They could produce guns out of food processors, money out of washers, and mutated code as they pleased. Hard to contact, they were often wealthy recluses, prized by whoever could contact them. However, if found by a more _unmoral_ person, they had to risk being in a state of near slavery.

He watched as undecipherable – to him – code flashed on the screen. She didn't appear to be calling the authorities, just playing with code... or so he hoped. She turned to sneeze, and nearly jumped out of her skin as she saw Riddick behind her. Her eyes widened as she once again felt sedatives entering her system. This time she remained conscious, her body limp as Riddick pulled her back to her friend's flat. He talked to her, telling her that Rebel would come to no harm, and not to tell anyone about him, otherwise he would hurt both Rebel and herself.

Something occurred to him as he left her body on a chair, and he rifled through her pockets. He found her wallet, and saw that she was called Elise. He put her wallet back in her pocket and left.

He returned to the ship, locked the ramp and set course. After taking off, he set his mind back to Rebel_. He needed to find Jack. It had been his fault, really, leaving the 12 year old with Imam, should have known Jack would have gotten bored, when the wanderlust hit again, should have known it would do so after a few years. Now Jack was kidnapped. Rebel was the only one on the streets who would be able to find Jack, no one else had her range of employers._ All he had to do was convince the spit-fire not to try and kill him or rat him out. He probably should have kept Elise, would have been a useful bargaining chip.

Riddick suppressed a yawn. _Time to sleep_. He wandered into the room where Rebel lay, still struggling against her bonds. It took her only a few moments before realising he was there. She looked at him defiantly, and returned to struggling against the ropes. He noted the skin around the rope, it was red and chafed, bleeding in places.

He walked over to her and she reluctantly stopped struggling as he leant against the bunk, gazing impassively at her. She tentatively met his stare. Riddick broke the gaze as he leaned forward to untie an ankle and again she tried to jerk away, but was helpless, unable to go anywhere. He waited until she stilled again, and continued to untie her legs. Immediately, she attempted to swing her legs around at him, but he impatiently swatted them away, quickly straddling her, careful not to hit his head on the bunk above.

He could smell her fear, mingling with her perfume and feminine smell. She wasn't as scared as he expected her to be, though, which puzzled him slightly.

Arlina looked up at him warily, trying to figure out his angle. She studied his enigmatic profile and stance, unable to see his masked emotions. _Fuck, fuck, fuck! Where was Elise, what the hell had Riddick done with her? Where was this room she was tied in? How the hell was she gonna get outta this mess? _Hard to think straight with a very heavy con – murderer – pinning you down on a bed…

She watched him, waiting for him to make the next move. He reached over her to get to her wrists; still holding her pinned and began to loosen the knot. When it was loose enough, she slipped her hands through, although he grabbed her wrists again before she could pull them back completely.


	5. Meditation

Riddick told her, gesturing to the opposite door. "Bathroom and kitchen are through there. I'm going to sleep, but don't even think about going into the pilot room." Arlina watched him as he let her wrists go, got off her, and lay down in the bed by the door. After a while, when she heard his relaxed breathing, she got up, went to the toilet and grabbed some food from the kitchen food unit. Sitting in the corner, she quickly ate the food, washed and replaced the plate. She suppressed a yawn. Arlina knew she had to stretch; otherwise she'd end up sore. The kitchen and bathroom were too small, though. She shrugged. She'd have to go past Riddick. Creeping silently, she passed him, hoping he would not wake.

Arlina investigated the other rooms, most were the common ones found on mid-sized personal ships like this one. She realised they were in deep space, most likely in a shipping lane. The gym was locked, she saw ruefully, and the only other large enough space was the piloting room. _Shit. Should she wake him and ask for the code for the gym?_ She fiddled with the code for a while, but was unable to hack into it; she didn't know that particular variety of coding language. She growled softly in frustration. Padding back to the bedroom, she paused outside the door. She would just stretch in the pilot room and he'd never know.

She walked into the room and began to stretch, luxuriously pulling and stretching each muscle and tendon. She stood up, and bent over into a bridge, then flipped her body over into a handstand. Eventually her movements sped up into a krav maga routine, and slowed down to slow relaxing movements. After stretching her body she sat and meditated, schooling her body to be still.

Riddick hadn't slept; he had simply relaxed his body and breathing, following Rebel's movements around the ship. After she had crept past his bed, he had gotten up and followed. He wondered as she stopped by the gym, and had hidden in the shadows as she walked back to the bunkroom. When she had gone into the pilot room, his first instinct was to grab her immediately. However, he had simply leant against the open door frame, watching her movements. He enjoyed watching her lithe form stretch, cat like, and had grown hard at the sight of her body staining against the jeans and shirt, as he had when he had frisked her.

He tapped his foot against the floor, as she sat in meditation, testing how far she'd gone into the trance. No response. Riddick approached, circled her, watching her breathe peacefully. He put a hand on her shoulder, and gently shook her.

Before he knew it, he was on his back, with four very sharp claws digging into the skin at his throat, a sleepy growl reaching his ears... Her eyes were still semi-glazed over from meditating; she hadn't even fully woken up. _Holy shit, first time in years someone's got the drop on me and it's a half-asleep girl_. Riddick schooled his face back into its impassive caste and growled "Interesting". He pulled his arms beneath his head and leant back against them, staring up at her as he watched her slowly begin to wake, making no attempt to struggle.

To his amusement, when comprehension dawned in her suddenly strangely blue eyes, she yelped and recoiled, claws returning into her skin, skittering away from him, falling over in her attempt to get away. He heard her swear softly to herself. Rolling onto his side, he studied her wary form. He remembered her unusual lack of terror when he had pinned her, and realised that the unusual claws that she had had probably saved her from being hurt many times. Riddick smirked to himself as he realised he was probably a bit jealous.

She stayed in a half-crouch, warily studying him in return, and waiting for him to make a movement. Her eyes showed fear, but she wasn't going to admit it. Standing, Riddick approached her more carefully then he had before. He'd underestimated her. It wouldn't happen again. She whimpered quietly and backed away as he came close, keeping her head down and avoiding his gaze. Her entire profile was fearful, like a submissive animal before a dominant one. In a smooth movement, he had her turned and pinned against him, her back tight against his chest and arms crossed over her body, held down by his hands. He was sure to keep his hands away from hers though, he didn't want to think about the damage her claws could do to unprotected flesh.

The girl began to whimper again as he held her. He whispered "Shhh" in her ear as he coaxed her back to the bedroom. She tried to pull free as he paused by the double bed, but he wasn't letting her out of his sight until he trusted her. He knew the damage claws could do to controls, and she would easily be able to send an emergency signal out, and jam the controls so the ship could not move.

Half dragging her down to the bed, he lay her down in it, and she began to shiver violently, breath coming in quiet gasps. He lay alongside her, and pulled her close, so her head was resting on one arm and his other arm lay alongside her waist. If she moved, he'd know about it.

"Go to sleep." Riddick knew she probably wouldn't. He could feel her body as it stayed tensed, the heartbeat faster then normal, way too fast for a sleeper. After an hour or so her body relaxed and within two hours she was sleeping. He propped himself up on one elbow, and watched her sleeping body. As he had when she was meditating, he watched all the tension, wariness and suspicion drain away, revealing a relaxed young woman. She leaned into him, against his body. His first instinct was to jump away from the unexpected contact, but he eventually relaxed and fell asleep.


	6. Pepper and Porridge

Arlina woke up, thoroughly disorientated. She sat up immediately and Riddick's arm fell back to his body. She looked around the room, and as she went to get up, she felt Riddick's shiv against her throat and yelped, claws immediately jutting out. It took a lot of self-control to hold them in if she felt threatened, and she was way too tired to be able to.

"Whoa, where you going?" Riddick asked. He had had to move quickly to avoid getting stabbed by her claws, but she didn't need to know that. He moved around behind her, causing her to tense, although the steady grip on the shiv at her jugular vein didn't shift.

"What the hell!?" Rebel exclaimed, surprised, as she felt metal clamp around her wrist. She was inspecting the heavy looking bracelet by the time she realised the shiv was no longer against her throat.

Riddick watch her thoroughly inspect the bracelet, with a little more then amusement glinting in his eyes. Basically, it gave her a mild electric shock if she wandered more then 10 metres away from him. He remembered the last person he had used it on.

"_Riddick? What the fuck are you doing? Why won't you let me come with you? Giving me a fucking electric shock if I try and leave Imam won't convince me. I'm gonna come after you!" Jack had been furious as he fastened the bracelet on her as he left. Imam took it off her after a week, when he had disappeared without trace. He had sent it to Riddick, promptly, not willing to have such a device in his household._

As he watched, Rebel had reached out with a claw and was about to dig into the metal, to find the wiring. She found the compartment, and as she was going to flick it open, Riddick realised and started to say "Don-"…

Too late, she received the small shock, entire body shaking for a second. She scowled at it, and was about to try again when he pulled her hand away. Diverted, she pulled away from him. "It's tamper-proof, set to 10 metre distance, mild electric shock that worsens with distance. Remote control and receptor." He waved the master bracelet in front of her, before putting it on himself.

Rebel shot him a look of irritation. She stared at it, spinning it around her wrist with a claw to get a better look of the other side. He grabbed her shoulder, getting her attention as she tried to jerk away from his strong grip.

"C'mon kid, I'm hungry." Following behind him, somewhat indignantly, she purposefully lagged, trying to judge the maximum distance she could go.

Lost in thought, she didn't realise he had stopped until she barrelled into him, falling onto the ground and yelping out in surprise as the unexpected jolt of being thrown onto her sore wrists hit her. He looked down at her, and crouched by her. She gasped in pain as he grabbed her wrists. Shifting his grip, he pulled her up the arms and pulled her towards a small room. She struggled, confused, but he simply maintained both his grip and fast pace.

Riddick pushed her down onto a bench, and turned as he sorted through a large first aid kit. It flashed through her head to get up and run. Arlina jumped as he shut the door with a foot as he turned around, carrying something from the first aid kit. She eyed him warily as he sat down next to her. _He scares me. Is he even aware that whenever he comes near, I have to suppress the urge to run, run, and keep running until I am home again? That I have to stop my claws from coming out? He scares me, but there is something about him… _Arlina told herself she didn't find him attractive, but _something_ in her answered to his muscular body and sexy voice. She hid it well beneath layers of fear.

"Arms." It wasn't a question.

After a pause, Arlina complied, letting him tend her sore wrists. She winced as disinfectant touched the skin, but made no sound. He looked up at her when she didn't. _Huh_! Arlina thought, _Not like I could tell what he is thinking…_He rubbed his thumb across the tattoo on the underside of her left wrist, and she yanked back her arm from his caress. She had gotten that tattoo to cover up Doc's logo. He'd probably be annoyed that _his_ sign was covered up by a panther, one of his hated animals.

"Swing your legs up." Again, it was a command. Arlina hesitated, she didn't want to lose her ability to move if she felt threatened. Just an instinct. Something flickered across his face. She wondered what it was, but he masked his face before she could recognise it. He sat next to her – too close for comfort – and pulled her legs onto his lap. She tried to sit up, but he just stared at her until she gave in and lay down on the bench.

"Why am I here?" Riddick looked surprised at her question, an interesting emotion on his chiselled face.

"I need some help." He admitted it freely, but his expression didn't allow for any further questions.

Propping herself up on her arms uncomfortably, she watched as he worked on her legs. When he was finished he began to pack up the kit, leaving Rebel on the bench. Her actions amused him somewhat, the way she moved and reacted, her reflexes, they were all so catlike in their precision and grace.

Walking back to the kitchen, he had to look behind him a few times to check wether she was still there, so silent were her movements. Riddick turned on the food unit and studied her as she leant against a wall, still fiddling with the bracelet.

"You really don't like it, do you?" He asked, somewhat sympathising with her dislike of restraints. He couldn't stand being chained or bound either.

Surprised, she met his eyes and shook her head vigorously; there was something of a plea in her eyes but Riddick chose to ignore it.

"Some things are necessary." He shrugged. Didn't really concern him wether she would like it or not, as long as he got to the planet and she helped him in his task to recover Jack. He had a few days before they would land.

The food unit beeped, rousing him from his thoughts and he turned to it, pulling out two plates of food. It was a type of 20th century breakfast, give or take a century or two. It was a thin gruel formed by crushed "oats". He didn't find it particularly delicious, but it was supposed to have good nutrition levels in it. Indicating for Rebel to eat, Riddick began his meal. He noticed her put plenty of sugar over her breakfast, begin eating, and then fiddle with the sugar, salt and pepper dispersers, and wondered what she was doing. Apparently, in the Old Modern Days, the salt and sugar and pepper were of different size and colour, to help distinguish between them, but this quaint custom had long been discontinued for maximum production efficiency. Not finding the food particularly appetising, he set the sugar liberally onto his food. Riddick began to eat, but when he tasted the first mouthful he flinched. She'd switched around the sugar and pepper. Finally forcing the food down, he glared at Rebel, a corner of his mouth twitching as she avoided his gaze. A tell-tale smirk had appeared on her face, confirming his suspicions. _Nice one, kid. _He grabbed her plate, ignoring her protests, and put the "sugar" in her food. She stared up at him as he shoved it back in front of her and leaned back in his chair. Riddick watched as her face set determinedly, and she sniffed the food, preparing to eat as she grabbed a spoon. Rebel sneezed, drawing his attention.

_Jeez! I haven't gotten sick in eons; this **would** be the time… _Arlina sneezed again as she leant back over her food. _This is weird. I'm not allergic to anything… am I? _She began sneezing again and again, falling off her chair onto the ground in the midst of her sneezing fit. _Riddick is just sitting there, staring at me…why does it feel like he can see through my clothes?_

After her sneezing fit subsided, she looked up at Riddick. "I think I'm allergic…". He was still sitting there, looking down at her with his eyebrows raised. He nodded. The amusement was torn from both their faces when the ship jolted with sudden impact. Some debris had torn through part of the hull. Following him, she ran down to the piloting room, and watched as he set the auto droids to patch up the ship. Walking down past the bedroom, he paused unexpectedly and Arlina nearly walked into him again. She followed his gaze, and noticed that the debris had hit into the wall, and the bunk had been smashed under the recoil when the ship jolted.

Shrugging, he continued. She didn't notice, she was too busy thinking _Oh shit. One bed now. I'll have to sleep on the floor… but what if he doesn't let me? Fuck! _She thought wryly. _Yeah, that's **precisely** what I'm afraid of…_

Yelping, she fell forward as an unexpected shock raced through her body. Getting up from her knees, she noted a small piece of wire on the ground. She scooped it up into her clothes and continued walking behind him. He hadn't even turned. Following Riddick, she stayed silent and watched him work around the ship… enjoying his muscles tensing and flexing as he moved things around the ship.

Arlina sat down, leaning against the end of the bed, _like a good little pet, _she thought bitterly, as he sat on his bed and read. He hadn't offered her a book, but then, she hadn't asked. She looked longingly at the shower, visible through the open door down the hall. He caught her glance and followed it, and understanding what she wanted, and reset the bracelet, indicating she could now have a shower without getting shocked for going too far. She gave a small smile before walking in the room. Arlina was damn grateful for a shower, she hated being dirty. _Huh! Coulda sworn he just sighed then…_as she locked the door carefully behind her.

She took her time in the large shower, and getting dressed. _No need to rush anything! I'll just hope he'll be asleep, so I can just grab a pillow and sleep on the floor. _Thankfully, he was when she returned to the room. As planned, she picked up one of the pillows and stretched up on the floor by the door. She might have noticed his body as it tensed when she leaned over him to get a pillow, but she was too drowsy. He awoke as she brushed him softly with the pillow.

Riddick watched her sleep. He was somewhat surprised that she had actually slept on the floor, although he had expected it. He jumped as she spoke, in her dreams. He caught a few words – Doc, no… shrugging, he would ask her about it later. After he realised she probably was not going to wake up, he himself fell back to sleep.

After she had slept for a few hours, when she was sure Riddick was asleep, Arlina sat up. She had fiddled enough with the bracelet during the day to know how to get it off. She hated, absolutely hated, chains and restraints. _Askin' for trouble here, girl… _Steeling herself, she used her claws and the pick to rip out the tracking device.

She soon disappeared, hiding in the ship.


	7. Allergic Relationship

Riddick awoke, feeling like something was wrong. His instincts were right – of course they were – when he noticed the bracelet was lying on the floor. Alarm ran through his head, and he immediately went into the pilot room to see wether Rebel had interfered with the controls or attempted to send a HU signal. HU was much more efficient then its previous counterparts, such as SU, even back to the decrepit SOS… Pulling his mind back to the task, he realised he'd never find her. She was quieter then even he was. As he inspected the controls, to his relief, he found that she had not interfered with them at all.

Then he began to chuckle. He knew exactly what he could, and would do to find her. He grabbed the sugar disperser – still set to pepper – from the kitchen and casually walked back to the pilot room. He copied the code into the air-conditioning system, and soon the smell of pepper was obvious throughout the ship. Soon rewarded for his thinking, he heard Rebel in a fit of sneezing in the gym.

Taking his time, he sauntered through to the room, and began to laugh as he saw her on her hands and knees, sneezing violently. Between sneezes she glared up at him. "That was **not** fair, Riddick." She looked back up at him when she had caught her breath somewhat, and he caught the - although irritated - wry acceptance at her failure to escape in her face as her mouth quirked slightly.

He stayed there and watched as she tried to regain her breath. Another round of sneezing followed, and it probably wasn't the best idea to leave her like that. "You. Stay." Riddick walked back to the pilot room, changed the air conditioning so it'd clean all traces of pepper from the system and walked back, collecting a pair of handcuffs whilst he did so. Rebel was still sneezing, but now sporadically, and was now able to remain sitting up. She leaned against the wall, trying to slow her breathing from the sneezing fit and he took the time to drag a chair over, flip it around and sit down on it, resting his muscled arms on the back.

Riddick studied her. _She has secrets, that much is obvious. She's tough… wonder why. Don't know much about her past; no criminal record, kinda weird for an accomplished pick-pocket. Coupla things I'd like to know about her… why does she move so silently? Why does she have claws? Why can she see perfectly well in the dim light as well as the day? I want to know her as a person, but also as a woman… she is beautiful, does she know that – probably not._ He listened intently as her breathing slowed.

Rebel looked back up at him. He could see she was wary; her body was ready to run, but she wasn't scared. He scooted the chair forward, until she was within arms reach. Riddick noticed she began to tense slightly though. _One step at a time…_

"What's your real name, kid?"

"Arlina Wells."

"Sounds Earthen. You from Earth?"

She started to reply, but then paused. "Y-Why do you care?"

"Just making conversation. Or could you think of something else we could be doing?"

Her face tightened, Riddick was amused to note, as she considered her options. "Yeah, I am from Earth, not sure if I'm entirely human though. You?"

Reaching over, he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm asking you the questions. I'm Furyan, though." He leaned back on his arms.

Comprehension dawned in her eyes at the statement. It explained a lot.

"Why are you a pickpocket?"

Rebel answered carefully. "Nothing else to do."

"What about your parents?"

A look of pain crossed her face and she looked away. He watched conflicting emotions play across her face.

"I'm going" she announced and she jumped up and tried get out.

He grabbed her as she went past, lifting her around on the seat so she was straddling him, caught between his body and the chair back. She tried to struggle, but pinned, there wasn't much she could do, especially after he caught both of her wrists. He was expecting her claws, and dodged them, staring at them glittering dangerously. She continued struggling. _Calm down! _He thought. Her hair had come loose, now it tumbled down her hair, mussed – _just as if she'd been rolling around in bed_. He breathed in sharply at the images that came into his head. She calmed down somewhat, and although he still held her arms loosely, he let her pull her hand up to push her hair behind her ears. She eyed him as he let go of a hand and ran it along her cheek. Entire body taut, she ceased her movement. _Smart girl. _

Rebel's jeans were intact, however her black tank top had suffered some wear and tear since Riddick had kidnapped her. It was ripped in places, showing strips of tanned skin and bits of her red bra. Riddick slowly traced the outline of her face again, then caressed her neck, fingers following the neckline of her shirt. He leant in further to grab both of her wrists in one large hand before she realised what he was doing, whilst his other hand continued its travels, slowly outlining the swell of her breast with a light touch. He felt her fear suddenly grow, as well as her anger. His hand lingered momentarily, and Riddick felt her attempt to jerk away. _She doesn't like this, not like some of the others. Either she's been screwed around with or has to be in control. Not like she has any options here though. _As his hand trailed lower he felt her wince. His eyebrows drew together in confusion, but he disregarded it as her fear.

Hegrabbed the handcuffs he had tucked in a pocket. She immediately struggled violently, causing him to drop the handcuffs when he had to grab the seat to keep from falling. Riddick leaned down to pick them up, and she took the opportunity to run. She fled to the kitchen, dodging around the table, keeping it between her and Riddick, as he circled her. Inevitably, she slipped on the stools that he had knocked down purposefully. Falling to the ground, he tackled her, trying to pin her. She rolled out of his grip and was up first, turning to run. He grabbed an ankle, pulling her down and pinning her to the ground.

Her shoulders slumped as he straddled her, both breathing heavily. She protested softly as he grabbed her arms but didn't pull them away this time as he snapped the cuffs around her wrists. When he looked back at her he was surprised at the fear in her eyes.

Riddick rolled off her, and pulled her up. She avoided his gaze and her breathing was harsh. _What's with this girl? She's all big time bad-ass as when she's running, hell, even fighting, but now she's freaked as all hell. Even looks like she might cry. Damnit! I hate the ones who cry. _His musings were interrupted as the ship shuddered with impact. Riddick was startled, although he didn't show it. He reached the pilot room, dragging Rebel behind him. When he realised what had happened, he was slightly relieved. He'd been worried that they'd been docked by cops; instead, it was a ship belonging to the Syndicate.


	8. Plaything to an Animal

He looked behind him as Rebel started to back away. She started to say something, than stopped. Curiosity aroused, he asked her, "Now what's wrong?" She pointed at the cam, it showed men getting out, men with guns. Riddick sighed. "You have the _Syndicate_ after you?"

Rebel nodded. "Thanks to you! They paid me in advance before you grabbed me. For a few big jobs."

Riddick shrugged in reply, and Rebel threw up her hands in frustration. The Syndicate were just as notorious for their treatment of deviating employees as for their treatment of prisoners. Riddick had nearly signed her death warrant.

"Well, guess you got nowhere to go then" as Riddick was talking, he was startled by the sudden blaze of anger in her eyes, and when she lunged at him, he couldn't help flinching. Angered, he hit her in her midsection, and although he had pulled his punch, she collapsed to the floor, winded. Holding his hand over her eyes, she couldn't see, and was thoroughly disorientated as he pulled her into another room. She was trying to breathe and was startled as he suddenly stopped. Rebel started to protest as he placed a blindfold around her head, but he silenced her. Grabbing her, they moved again, and she gasped as he suddenly lifted her into the air, placing her above him. He shoved her across the floor and jumped up to the same level. Riddick pulled her up and pushed her through the area. She tried to move the blindfold, but he whispered "no" softly into her ear. He stood behind her and she felt his warm body pressing against hers as she cautiously stepped forwards, slowly. His body against was solid behind hers. The unwanted contact made her jump and she felt, rather then heard his deep, quiet chuckle.

Riddick turned her around, and pushed Rebel back into a wall, almost gently. She sensed him as he moved closer, and tilted her face towards him. When Riddick grabbed her arm, she didn't resist, letting him pull both of her arms, linked by the chain up and didn't stop him from hooking the chain slightly above her head.. He walked away, and then paused. She wondered what he was doing, and then laughed as she heard a chair scraping on the ground. He pushed her to one side, and leant the chair against the wall, and guided her onto it. This time when he walked off, he didn't pause. She heard the trapdoor shut, and she was alone.

Her thoughts were chaotic. She had to consider what she would do. Earth, her home planet was uninhabitable, as was all the planets that Syndicate were powerful on. Any planets controlled by the Mafia would be safe, thanks to the rivalry between the organisations, but she probably wouldn't get any jobs there, as they wouldn't trust her not to skip out on them. The safest bet would probably be a backwater planet, far from anywhere. It would be preferably hospitable, but that was only a plus.

Straining her ears, she could barely hear the conversation below her.

After introductions were over there was a strained silence between the men. Riddick asked them "what are you here for?"

The youngest there – she recognised his voice, Mike – began after a pause. The conversation was long and she grew drowsy. _Shit! No time for a nap. I need to hear this! _Against her will, her body soon slumped into sleep.

Riddick stared at the three men, thinking. He wasn't entirely sure what to do. They knew he had her; she'd been smart enough to leave a coded message at her apartment, which had been confirmed by a hidden vid cam outside the house. He had an option of paying the cash back – with a helluva lot of interest – or giving them the girl. _If I let them have her, she'd end up like her friend, Elise, bruised and timid. Then it would be easier to get her to work for me, although her demeanour would be so unlike her reputation that the people would get suspicious. Or the Syndicate might kill her, either prospect was likely. _ He rubbed his hand over his scalp and dropped it back down. _I can easily pay for her. She'll be in my debt for a long, long time though. _He mentally chuckled at the thought. _I wonder if she'd do what I asked, or would she just …? I still don't want to pay that amount for an uncertainty. I know what I'll do. She'll absolutely hate it. But she will obey, she won't have any other choice. If she doesn't kill me first. _A smirk appeared on his face at his idea.

Grudgingly, Riddick payed the money. Mike tallied the amount on the temporary card with a handheld device, and looked up when he found there were a large amount of extra credits. Riddick beckoned him over and Mike looked up at him with shock and a tinge of amusement at Riddick's words. He nodded his head; anyone belonging in the Syndicate would have done the same. They had prepared for the eventuality, and brought the correct equipment, but had not expected the criminal to think of it.

They agreed to the terms. Riddick had not only payed off Rebel's debt; he had also bought her. According the rules of employment within the Syndicate, an employee agreed to work there for an amount of time. For that, they got unlimited resources and decent credits. However, the Syndicate 'owned' them as insurance. Her life was forfeit to him, and the law would agree. He owned her, he could do absolutely anything he wanted to her. Literally. The transaction was legally allowed. Rebel couldn't pay the debt owed to the Syndicate, so they were allowed to indenture her until the creds were worked off. Riddick simply paid for her bond. She'd only have one chance to work it off.

Mike looked at Riddick with near apprehension in his face, and signed his part of the contract. Riddick did the same, and kept the document. One Arlina Wells was now under the ownership of Richard B. Riddick. They signed another, with Riddick's name being changed to one of his many pseudonyms. One of the bodyguards threw Riddick a bag and he caught it in midair. Calling out good luck as he left the ship, Mike stepped back into his own. _Damn, he'd liked the girl. No hope for her now though!_ He didn't look back.

Riddick walked into the pilot room and watched them leave. He sat down in the chair and opened the bag. Grinning evilly, he rifled through the contents. The Syndicate had obviously thought about what choice Riddick would make. There were arm and leg shackles, a bit, a neck cuff and leash in sparkly diamonds, a branding iron kit with letters and aftercare and a coiled whip. That, he didn't want to use.

He couldn't hear the girl moving around, so he took the time to assemble the branding kit. He chose his initials, with a period after the end of each letter, spaced out. **R. B. R.** _His_. He liked the sound of that. He'd never really owned anything as a child, this was his chance to play. Not entirely sure how his mood had changed from pitying her and trying to be gentle to his current sadistic thoughts, he shrugged mentally.

Leaving the brand warming up, he put everything but the bit back in the bag. He had a feeling he'd need that. Even though no one would hear her out in this deserted shipping lane, he still didn't want have to shut her up violently out of annoyance.

Riddick saw the glow that announced the readiness of the branding iron, and picked it up. He had a moments regret of what he was going to do. Banishing it to the back of his mind, along with a thousand other crimes, he walked through to the bedroom and hoisted himself up through the barely visible trapdoor. He walked silently to her. She didn't awaken at his approach, and he gauged the best area to place the red-hot brand. It needed to be visible so nobody would fuck with her. And so she couldn't run off easily. Had to be a place nice and easy to bandage. Her left arm already had a tat, a nice piece of work that was covering up something. She'd never have the opportunity to do the same with his name, if he could help it. Her only chance at freedom in name was to help retrieve Jack, but her freedom from him?

_She's right armed, too. Maybe when it's healing, she'll be a bit impaired by it. All the better for me. _Carefully, Riddick inched up to the girl as she hung there like a pagan sacrifice in days past, arms splayed out uncomfortably, although her body was curled in the chair. He readied himself to cover her mouth, and lightly grasping her arm with one hand, he carefully placed the brand and pushed it down on her arm. She woke, eyes wide with shock and pain. She drew a deep breath inwards and flinched backwards against the wall. Afraid she would scream, he clapped his hand over her mouth. Riddick dropped the brand, the imprint was nearly too deep. She struggled, kicking the chair over. He let go of her face instinctively when she bit him. He watched as she writhed, soundless. The look in her eyes was heartrending, a tortured intensity to their depths. Riddick got the feeling he'd done something very, very wrong.

He snapped out of it as she stilled. All her muscles stood out in definition, and he realised how toned she was. Again she took a deep breath. "Fuck", she said, calmly. Then she fainted.

Riddick rolled his eyes. _Very theatrical, kid. _He made sure the iron was off, and, unhooking the chain, lifted Rebel and took her to the bedroom. She didn't rouse even when he dumped her on the bed.

He was going to leave her; but it did occur to him that she might not be as hurt as she seemed and this was merely another escape attempt. _Escape to where though_, the cynical voice in his mind reasoned.

Using the specially designed shackles that the men from the Syndicate had given him, he undid his handcuffs and within minutes Rebel's arms were cuffed with the chain looped around the head of the bed, and her legs were cuffed with their chain around the bottom of the bed. He was going to put the bit in her mouth but hesitated. Memories of being chained and beaten were second only to when he was bitted in transportation. That really sucked.

When he returned in a few hours after doing some negligible repairs, she was still out. Riddick frowned. He listened to her pulse. It was faint and erratic. _Shit_. He knew that it couldn't have been just because of the brand - that would only hurt like hell. Uncuffing her, he lifted her easily and walked into the med room as her prone figure lay in his powerful arms. Cradling her body, he gently lay her down on the table and strapped her in the restraints. "Computer, run general scan." As the computer checked over her, he tried to remember if she'd flinched away from any spots in the last day or so. The computer beeped, signalling the completion of the task. He read the results. Two deep wounds, exhaustion and prospective shock. Looking at the diagram, he found the wounds. One was a deep line where she had been gouged with something sharp. It was only a few millimetres long in diameter; she'd be alright, although as it encircled her rib cage, she'd have to be careful. He was more worried about the other, which ran along her side from the same height as her navel to mid-thigh. It was longer, and significantly wider, although not as deep. Riddick grinned. 5 piercings! He had noticed her ears were pierced, but didn't think she was that much of a, well, _Rebel_ to get them pierced that many times. No one did these days, it was too much of a health risk.

He tried to pull off her tank top, but it was too hard, considering the locations of the restraints – neck, wrists, waist, ankles. He just ripped it. Riddick found the long gash and put a strip over it. After the second attempt at bandaging her, he got too frustrated at her bra, which kept getting in the way. It unclipped at the front, and he after unhooking it, he placed the strapless bra on a bench. He turned back to Rebel and tried to focus. His throat was suddenly dry at the sight of her ample breasts. With an effort, he focused his mind on his task. Every so often as he was manoeuvring around her to bandage the wound, he would brush against a soft breast. He sucked in his breath as the temperature dropped and watched whilst her nipples hardened. Riddick ran a hand over her breast before he realised what he was doing and he dragged it away as if burned. _Concentrate, damn you! She's fucking unconscious._ He bandaged the wound securely. On an impulse, he continued bandaging so her breasts were covered. He felt a lot better, before mentally kicking himself. _Jeez, just because you unintentionally knocked her out, it doesn't mean you need to get all soft._ Angry at himself for his unusual hesitation, he jerked her jeans down roughly. Perhaps it was that movement which awoke her, for the girl roused. She was delirious from the pain and struggled wildly. "Computer, tighten restraints and light sedation!" The computer responded to Riddick's urgent command and Rebel stopped flailing manically.

Riddick moved around to the head of the table. "Look at me! Look at me, damnit." Eventually Rebel did. "Calm down. It's Riddick. I'm not going to hurt you or rape you. I'm just stitching you up. Why didn't you tell me you had those? Just relax, I'm not going to jump you. Just let me stitch your wound and I'll leave you alone, ok?" Reluctantly, she stilled completely. As the sedative took effect, she relaxed. Riddick continued with his ministrations. He stitched the wound after cleaning it, and did as much as he could. He was still shocked that he hadn't even suspected the wounds, although he did know that she must have got them in the few weeks when she wasn't living in her flat. Riddick was able to finish doctoring the wound without removing her underwear, although he had noted that it matched the bra, and wryly thought about her reaction if she had woken up without those on.

He noticed her jeans were wet with her sweat and blood. _Shit_. She's probably been hurting for a while then. Riddick left them where they were for the time being. When he saw the brand he winced a little. He'd left it on for a little too long, and the flesh was nearly bleeding. _Her right side must feel like its on fire. A new brand, a deep cut, and a lightly infected wound. _Undoing the restraints, Riddick yanked off her boots, socks and pants completely. She was burning up. He left her in the bedroom, unrestrained this time.

Riddick made sure anything dangerous was out of reach. His goggles were still hanging up on the wall, he didn't need to wear them here, the maximum light possible was only mildly discomfiting. Walking into the shower, he relished the opportunity to relax. It was his only idiosyncratic habit, but he loved to sit in the shower in the dark, letting the water fall on him like rain.

When he returned, he noticed her fever had dropped, most likely from the small amount of penicillin in the sedative. Riddick also saw that her underwear was slick with sweat and blood and could infect the wound. As quickly as he could, he pulled them off and pulled up the smallest pair of boxers he could find. They were still too big. She looked so vulnerable. Her compact, toned and very feminine figure was emphasised by the tight bandage around her chest and the boxer shorts riding low on her hips. He shrugged and put her back on the bed. Suddenly feeling like leaving, he took the time to grab all his clothes and what remained of hers and washing them. _Just great. My conscience always seems to crop up at the worst times. If it had appeared when I was killing my first person, would I even be here now? Instead, I'm feeling fuckin' gallant for this little pickpocket. I'm too goddamn chivalrous sometimes. Yeap, that's me. Sir-Shiv-a-lot._ He laughed quietly.

The clothes were automatically folded and lay in the chute. Suddenly tired, he left them there and walked back. He lay on the bed and studied her. His feelings were not as bloodthirsty as before, now he lay staring at her eminently desirable body and profile. She moaned in her sleep and again he had to stop himself from touching her. The lights were already off, but he pulled her close to him, and again he slept with one arm under her head and one arm around her body, hugging her close. She fit snugly around his body. _My own little doll._ He fell asleep against her relaxed body.


	9. Conflict

_Motherfucker! What the hell happened? I was hurt before but now I'm caning. Fucking sides on goddamn fire! What the fuck is wrong with painkillers… _It occurred to Rebel to wonder what she was wearing as she moved and an unfamiliar fabric grazed her legs. A bandage and a pair of boxers. His boxers? Either way, damn loose. What was with the bandages? Under her rib – and she was glad to note, covering her breasts. Suddenly, she blushed. _Didn't occur to me exactly how close he got for both the bandages and the boxers. Damn. Hope he ain't been doing anything then. _As her gaze travelled back up her body she noticed his arm clamped tightly around her stomach at the same time as she felt his warmth tight against her. _Fuck!_ She tensed and froze.

Turning her head slightly, she saw that Riddick was awake and looking at her with a smirk. "Riddick, what the hell am I wearing?" He chuckled. She felt the vibrations in her body. Unnerving her, she snapped "Let me up!"

He traced circles on her stomach with his fingers. "Oh, I don't have to do anything." Riddick pulled her in closer. She gasped as her body slid into his warm skin. He raised himself on an elbow and put his chin on her shoulder, looking at her profile. "This is kinda comfy." Riddick flitted his hands over her side, above the cut. Watching her skin shiver at his touch he added "you, however, don't have any choices." He watched the look of her face change from irritated discomfit to being slightly confused. "Look at your arm." Whilst she did so her hair swung across his face from the movement. He breathed in deeply, taking in her exotic, feminine scent. Riddick looked at her face with amusement as she read the initials out loud. "R. B. R. Richard B Ridd-oh shit you did _not_ just do that." Unexpectedly, she shoved away from him. Instead of moving him, the action unbalanced her and she landed on the ground, wincing slightly. She stared up at him. "You did not fucking _buy_ me."

_Damn she looks good! Tawny hair all mussed up, bandage not leaving much to the imagination. _He could feel himself getting hard at the sight of her breasts straining against the fabric. Again he restrained himself and continued his perusal. _The boxers look pretty good on her. She's a feisty little thing - hell it looks like she wants to take me on. Whoa shit! Check out the claws girl, don't leave marks like that around my ship. I'll have to figure something out with those… _Mock clearing his throat, she looked up at him with fear in her eyes. Plenty of defiance too, he noticed.

"We only have about two days before we arrive. I need to talk to you about everything. You do belong to me now, so I could make you do everything, but this will be your chance to work the debt off. If not, well you'll be mine. Forever. I know you don't particularly want that, so cooperate." He noted that she'd been slowly sliding away. "Careful, you're still hurt. Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you while you're already weak. When you're better, maybe." She gulped at his grin. "I'll leave you alone for a while, ok? Don't' do anything stupid."

He left her and walked to the kitchen. He heard the shower turn on and was tempted to walk back and scare her. Hell, he just wanted to fuck her and feel her against him, moaning his name. Then he would truly own her. Sighing, he got the images out of his head. Riddick just needed her to act like she was his partner and that they had moved from the Syndicate to the Gang (a smaller, allied force)

Then he'd need her to help him find Jack. Last he'd heard she'd been taken the custody of a merc employed by the Gang to bring prospective employees. The Gang was allied to the syndicate but was run completely different. It was ruled by fear, the kingpin arranged to have employees kidnapped, and were forced to work for the company. For life. It suited many, as they had access to a large amount of creds, and housing was supplied. He wouldn't let Jack get trapped into that life though!

Riddick heard Rebel calling his name. He was surprised. He walked back into the bedroom. She was sitting on the bed in a towel wrapped around her body and a pair of jeans underneath. Her hair was wet and was dripping on her body. Longing to trace the course of the droplets as they made their way down her body, he restrained himself again. "Yeah?"

"Um, can I borrow a top? All mine either dig into my cuts or that fucking brand." He looked at the flash of hatred in her face as she said _brand_. Shrugging, Riddick rifled through his drawers. He found a comparatively small black wife beater and threw it to her. She caught it and stared at him expectantly. _No luck kid. _With a small sound of exasperation she got off the bed and turned around. Dropping the towel, she quickly slid the top on. Riddick saw the curve of her breasts, and noticed that she had taken off the bandage but left the strip and plastic covering on. He caught her muffled chuckle joined in her laughter. The top was huge on her, reaching midway down her thighs. It was low at the top, exposing part of her cleavage. _She's gonna have to be careful so that it doesn't get too low… Have to remember to ask her to pick something off the ground for me._ Chuckling at the thought he left the room again.

Towel drying her hair, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She knew she was attractive, but the way Riddick looked at her, she felt beautiful. Her tawny hair that reached just past her shoulders was near the colour of her deeply tanned skin. Her very blue eyes stood out in a face with dark brows and lashes, high cheekbones, attractive lips set pleasantly in a heart shaped frame. She stared at her body. Her hips and shoulders were about the same width, and she had a small waist. Her thighs were muscular. She didn't think her breasts were large, just a C, but they suited her curves. Her tight jeans emphasised her figure, and she thought that his top suited her, as well. She noted the low neckline. _Better not bend down in this then… _She didn't want to provoke him. Apart from the Doc, the only adult relationship she had had was with the man that had rescued her, Ben. _Definitely not frigid though_, she thought, as she smiled thinking of her holiday with Ben, her ex-boyfriend… Nowhere near as tall as Riddick, at 5'6, she thought.

Her stomach rumbled and she realised how hungry she was. She walked into the kitchen. Riddick turned around from his seat facing the wall as she turned on the food dispenser. She hadn't realised he was still in there, and judging by his surprised expression, he hadn't heard her come in. He looked at her appreciatively and looked back to his book. _Jeez, he's a bit of a bookworm! Well, I suppose when ya been in Slam as long as he was, and survive, then you can't get enough of anything, really. _

She finished the food, and looked at him. He swivelled around the chair. Sighing, Riddick began. "So are you going to help me?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really considering that I own you, but I would appreciate it, and it will make it much easier, both for you and for the task."

She sighed. _Why do I get the feeling I'm selling my soul to the devil? _"Ok."

Riddick grinned like a schoolboy. "I just need you to pretend that I'm your partner and we're transferring employment temporarily from the Syndicate to the Gang."

Looking at him suspiciously, Rebel replied. "Why do you need me for that? I mean, it wouldn't be that hard for someone of your …_reputation_ … to get employment with the Syndicate, and then ask to be transferred to the Gang."

His grin widened. "But I don't have any musical abilities, and I'd look damn stupid dancing in a flimsy costume."

Visibly, she flinched. Nearly falling off her seat, she stared at him with annoyance. "You are _not_ making me sing and dance. I'm not a goddamn pet animal!"

"Well, my friend is being housed with the musical women, so you _will_ sing and dance. You may not be a pet animal, but you're _my_ pet human." Riddick said with visible satisfaction. "You'll probably have to fight, too."

"WHAT!" Yelped Rebel. "No way!"

"Yes way." He cocked an eyebrow at her. "How well can you fight?"

Before she could stop it, she hissed "well enough to whop your ass."

Riddick burst out laughing. "You've got balls, kid, I'll give you that."

"Why don't you give me my life back?"

The smile vanished from his face. He put down his book. "Come here." Riddick glared at her until she approached with some trepidation. His glowing eyes seemed to burn. Rebel stopped a metre or so away. He repeated himself patiently, and she inched forward in front of him, but stopped well out of arms reach. "I won't ask you again." Rebel crept forward and stood, their legs touching as Riddick sat on the chair. She avoided his gaze. Suddenly he lunged at her. Grabbing her, he turned her so she was sitting on his lap on the chair.

She shuddered at the intimate contact. He pinned her arms down with a big arm reaching across her body at her ribcage. The arm also prevented her doing anything with her claws as they were pinned to her leges. Riddick's other hand stroked the back of her neck. "You are mine. I can do anything I want with you. No one can stop me." He pulled her in tighter. He rested his chin on her shoulder. His hand crept down to the top of her breasts and started stroking them, running light fingers across the warm skin. She squirmed, trying to get away but restricted by his heavy arm. Rebel could feel his arousal. Biting back a yelp, she pulled away harder. The arm just tightened further, like a steel band across her stomach. "Just give in." Against her will, she could feel herself getting aroused by his persistent strokes. Feeling it, he reached further, and began to toy with a hardened nipple. Again, she tried to fight him. _C'mon kid. I like my women willing - but with spirit. No way I'm gonna rape you, that's for cowards. Well, not in this mood. Just give up trying to fight me. _It was always fun for Riddick to dominate somebody, but this was taking a while. Not that he minded having the chance to grope an attractive woman. _I may be enjoying this a little too much, but just give in. Then I'll let you run off and hide somewhere. _Although Rebel was beginning to whimper, she still struggled sporadically. _I'm not tryin to break you, kid. I'm just letting you know exactly what you've gotten into. And who's the boss, and what exactly I can do to you whenever I want. And I will. _

Eventually Rebel stopped struggling. She sat there, tensed as he continued to fondle her breasts. He raised his hand from her shirt and patted her head. "There, that wasn't so hard. Lesson is, if you don't screw with me, I don't screw with you." His other arm lifted and he laughed as she ran off immediately, nearly falling over in her haste to leave the room. Riddick was tempted to follow, but left here.

_Ok, Rid. Can't break her, but she has to submit, you need to know she won't rebel at the worst moment.. You know she can sing, you heard her when she was in the bath at her flat. She needs to dance and fight. She knows at least rudimentary martial arts, most likely Krav Maga, but you need to find out exactly how much. She should be able to dance, gotta figure out a way to get her to dance._

After she fled the kitchen, she ran into a room that she hadn't been into before. It was lined with books on opposing sides with a computer desk facing the spare roll. Unable to resist, she grabbed a book. Rebel wasn't exactly a bookworm, but she did relish the classics, such as Jean M. Auel, Agatha Christie and Sara Douglas. She found a book by Sara Douglas that she hadn't read and went to find a peaceful room. She hated what Riddick was doing, making her submit. By chance, she found the trapdoor in the bedroom as she flopped down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. After manoeuvring herself, she was able to get up into the attic. She looked for somewhere to read. She saw a window, and the ledge was just wide enough to squeeze herself onto. Rebel sat there, perched somewhat precariously between the window and the wall, one leg hanging just above the floor. She began to absorb herself in the book.

Riddick began to wonder where she went. He couldn't hear her very well. Hoping that she wasn't trying to escape or kill herself or pull some sort of stupid stunt, he went looking. He was puzzled for a while, until he realised that she must have found the trapdoor to the attic. _Smart girl_. He hoisted himself up, wondering how she'd gotten herself up there. Looking round, he didn't see her immediately. _C'mon Rid, you know she's up here somewhere. _Noticing her sitting up on the ledge, he suddenly regretted everything. She looked so fragile, balancing up on the ledge, big blue eyes focused intently on the page. She turned the page, and glanced up. He raised an eyebrow as she did a double take when she realised he was there. She cringed back onto the ledge.

Half expecting her to run, he was surprised when she stayed still. He grinned wolfishly. Walking up to her, Riddick came close to her, standing between her legs as she stayed put. Their faces were only inches apart, and he could feel her cool breath on his face. "I want to see how well you fight." Her half-hidden grin was as predatory as his. Chuckling, he picked her up by the waist and set her down in front of him. Aside from squirming in his grasp, she didn't fight back.

Minutes later, they were in the gym. As well as assorted equipment, such as rowing machines and weights, there was a decent area for running or sparring. "Knives?"

Still hiding her grin, Rebel nodded. Riddick selected two shivs, and threw one to her. Not taking her eyes off him, she lowered herself to the floor to pick it up. The two began to circle each other. Riddick feinted at her. She easily dodged, and retaliated with a quick slash to his arm. Unlike him, she reached her target and a thin line of blood soon emerged. She nearly dropped the knife at the anger in his eyes. But then, Riddick smiled and picked up the pace. A few minutes later, they were still fighting. Riddick had managed to disarm her, although Rebel still could have used her claws. Rebel was starting to tire; her previous wounds were hurting, as well as several other small cuts. After the first three slashes, Rebel hadn't landed any other cuts, although she had managed to hit him a few times.

When Riddick lunged at her, Rebel jumped back and kicked at his arm. He dropped his shiv, and didn't try and reach it. Riddick struck at her again, and she jumped back. The sudden movement, combined with her actions of the last 5 minutes flicked off her hair tie and her hair swung free of its ponytail and covered her face. Riddick took the opportunity to hook a foot around the back of her knees and pull her down. They tussled for a moment, but Riddick definitely had the upper hand, and eventually pinned her down, straddling her hips and holding down her arms. She relaxed, and Riddick thought she had given in. _Well, that was fun. _Then with a growl, her claws came out, and Riddick instinctively recoiled. She took the momentum to fling him onto his back, and then she was the one straddling his hips. Her claws trapped each arm down, diamond edges starting to cut through his skin. Riddick stared at her unfathomably. Rebel was nervous in a small corner of her mind, but was determined to ghost the motherfucker before he raped her. _Just do it girl! Then you can get off this place and go back home. _Riddick wasn't sure what she was going to do. _Fuck! This girl might actually kill me. _He enjoyed it, generally, when women threatened to kill him, because he could tell that none of them would. With this girl, he wasn't so sure. He saw a flicker in her eye, just before she moved and prepared himself to stop her.

She let go of one arm in a quick movement and was about to draw her claws across his neck, when in an even faster one, Riddick grabbed her throat. She panicked, claustrophobic. Faced with imminent doom, she just clawed at his arms. Recognising the signs of hysteria, he slapped her, then backhanded her on the rebound. Rebel shook her head, cleared of panic and calmed down. She winced at his arms, blood dripping down from them. _Shit, now I'm gonna get it._


	10. Unnamed as yet

I hope people like this chapter. It's kinda a cliff-hanger, because I'm still undecided what should happen next. I mean, Riddick could kill her or kiss her, let her fall, leave her back at home.. ya know? Could people please review. :) Thanks

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"Rebel! Why did you have to do that? You know I can't let you try and kill me and then walk blithely off back to your _book_." He looked at her, sprawled in a half-crouch where she had frozen. "I didn't want to hurt you, but now I have to." Rebel didn't make any excuses.

She didn't even try to fight him as he threw her against a wall. She crumpled to the floor. As he kicked her, she curled up but refused to cry out. Soon she mercifully blacked out. She woke up on the bed. Blood was crusted around her lips, and she had many, many dark blue bruises around her body, as well has grazes. Her cuts fro a fight before Riddick had taken her had bled, and her clothes – his shirt – were stained with dried blood as well as being ripped, but she was too hurt to cover up her body. Both her eyes were black, and reaching to her face, she was thankful that her nose was not broken. Her entire body ached. She rolled over and as her weight shifted to a tender spot, she let out a small moan.

Rebel felt the bile rising in her throat. She tried to stand up, but ended up collapsing on the floor. She dry-retched at the pain. Feeling Riddick's arms around her, she feebly struggled from the pressure around her sore body. He tightened his arms, and as Rebel nearly blacked out from the pain, she relaxed and he lessened the pressure. She allowed him to carry her through to the bathroom. _Not like I have any choice. _He placed her above the toilet in the bathroom, and she retched. After she threw up everything she had eaten for the last 24 hours, he pulled her up. He eyed her, and she shifted uneasily. Riddick sighed. "I'm gonna take off your clothes." Rebel whimpered softly. "I just need to check your wounds." He tried to pull off her – his – shirt, but it was stuck to her wounds. Riddick's gaze flickered to the shower. He half-carried, half-dragged Rebel to the shower. She lay unresistingly when he dropped her, a crumpled mass. _Shit. I didn't mean to beat her that badly. Damnit, Rid! Why is it that the sight of blood makes you lose control! _Turning on the shower, he watched, trying to be impassive as the water running down the drain was stained red with blood. Rebel roused herself at the slightly chilly water ran down on her. She tried to get up. _Strong survival instinct. I admire that in a woman. _He picked her up, trying to be gently. Riddick held her against a wall, and directed a showerhead onto her. Her hair was plastered against her face, and he pushed it away. It must have angered her, as he barely saw the flash of rage in her eyes before she tried to slash at him with her claws.

Riddick growled. The damage she'd done to his arms was shallow compared to what she could have done, but wasn't negligible. He'd bandaged both arms. _I am gonna rip out those claws if she isn't careful. _He wouldn't let her actually reach his skin, so he moved back. Rebel staggered forward and fell onto him. She looked up at him wretchedly. Riddick sighed. P_uppy-dog eyes there, kid. _When he pulled out a shiv out of his sodden pants, she didn't move. Riddick began to cut away at her clothing. Rebel soon stood there, naked, defenceless and trembling before his gaze. Riddick eyed her appreciatively, but didn't move towards her, until she nearly fell. They stood there, her bare breasts against his black tank top, his muscular arms holding her by the shoulders. The water had nearly washed her wounds out completely. He felt the blood rushing below his belt. _At least I'm already in a cold shower… _"Please."

"What?"

The girl made a small noise of frustration. "I don't know Riddick. Just let me go. Let me go home and back to my life. Back to stealing from pricks to give to assholes. Back to my apartment, my friends. Back to where you are just an urban legend. Back home."

Suddenly Riddick felt tired. "Like it or not, girl, you are mine. I could fuck you seven ways to Sunday and nobody would care. I could slit your throat and jettison your body and nobody would care. I don't want to break you, just accept the fact that I own you, and it's only me that you need to worry about. It's up to me what happens to you, so just be a nice little girl and help me."

"I can't Riddick! That's not me. You dragged me from everything I've ever known, and brand me, beat me up, and expect me to play a mary fucking sue for you an help you get your little friend back! Then what? Then do we play happy fucking families? Me in a goddamn apron? Then what?" Her words were all the more shocking for their whispered vehemence.

He didn't reply, just held her in place. She read his gaze and seemed to crumple inwardly. Riddick read her face – shock, anger, fear, helplessness… the emotions crossed her features and he picked them from her eyes. Her teeth held tight on her bottom lip. _Trying to keep from crying? _Rebel looked away as the blood dripped down her chin. _Jeez, that's some stubbornness, girl! I know I fucked up your life, but for Christ's sake! _He cradled her face in one hand. She looked up at him, suddenly unashamed of her silent tears.


End file.
